Winter's War
by Wolfrunner99-2
Summary: Jack runs into a problem when he saves Jamie and Sophie from a fate that might very well be worse than death.
1. Transformations

_Just to clear some things up: AU where the Pookas were not wiped out by Pitch, but the refugees fled to Earth, becoming allies with the humans and all. The four tribes, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, lived peacefully, though not contently beside their Allies. The Winter Tribe decided to do something about it, so they declared war. The War was at a stand still until the Winter Pookas created a potion that would change the humans into Pookas. The potion changed their age, too, because it was based on the age of the person receiving it in relative to the age a Pooka would be at that age in human years. So since most humans are under a hundred years old, it turned them to infants, no memory of their past life. The Pookas put the potion into anything that had to do with sweets or junk food, except for the chocolate that the Easter Bunny gave out to the kids on Easter._

Jack flew low over the ground, flying quickly to Jamie's house. Jack's first believer was still put out about the ban on sweets. They made up about half of his diet, too, so suddenly only having healthy food to eat was a drastic change for the ten year old.

"Jack!" Jamie shouted as he ran up to hug the Guardian of Fun. Jack froze for a second before hugging the boy back, still not used to not being walked through. Sophie ran out of the house as well, all bundled up against the cold that Jack had brought with him.

"How are you two holding up?" Jack asked, already guessing the answer.

"No sweets! None at all!" Jamie complained.

"Well, there's still Easter!" Jack soothed.

"Well, yeah, but Easter is still a year away! It was only a month ago!" Jack had already know that, saying as it had been the Easter he became a Guardian, defeated Pitch, and gotten his first believer. That was before the bans, the curfew, and the fear for the children's safety started.

The reason for the curfew and the worry was because the Winter Tribe had been kidnapping kids and changing them. Kids were easier to change, because one, most didn't know what was going on, and two, they loved sweets. "I'll tell you what, Jamie. How about I take you and Sophie ice skating before curfew?" Even though Jack didn't like that particular activity, Jamie and Sophie loved it. And in this town, which happened to have a lake frozen solid all year round, courtesy of Jack himself, they could go at anytime of the year.

"Yeah! Skate skate skate!" Sophie yelled happily before taking off towards the park. Jack and Jamie looked at each other before taking off after the tyke.

"Sophie! Wait up!" The toddler stopped and waited for the two older boys to catch up, taking a hand in each of her own. This of course caused Jack to have to walk, his staff swinging lightly in his hand. The to mortals didn't have ice skates, but Jack could easily fix that little problem.

Finally getting to the lake, he stepped onto it, adding an extra layer to the ice as it began to melt in the late spring heat. Contrary to popular belief, Jack wasn't affected by the heat unless it was in the ninety degrees or higher range. Like any other person, really.

"Come on you guys!" He said after a moment. The other two eagerly clammered onto the frozen surface, but Jack decided that the two ice skating novices wouldn't appreciate actually blades on the bottom of their shoes, so he let them be.

"Hey Jack! Watch this!" Jamie shouted as he caught the attention of his favorite Guardian. He did a clumsy spin, he would have fallen if Jack had not been there to catch the boy. They were so absorbed on there fun, Jack expertly skating circles and figure eights around the other two while they just laughed and enjoyed their fun, that they didn't notice the sun begin to sink, signalling curfew for the town. They only noticed that it was dark when Sophie mentioned she was tired.

"Alright, kiddos. Time to go home." Jack said, ushering them off the ice.

"But Jack! We don't want to go home!" Jamie complained, ignoring the fact that Sophie was asleep in Jack's thin arms.

"Uh huh. Whatever. I've been seeing you yawn for the past half hour or so, so don't even try that." Jack scolded lightly. Jamie huffed and walked forward again, towards his home. Jack caught up to him, hand ruffling the boys mahogany locks.

Jamie turned to complain to Jack for that, but what came out was, "Jack! Look out!" A bag captured the three children, blocking their sight with blackness. But before it closed, they saw a flash of white fur that left them without a doubt of their kidnappers. It was the Winter Tribe.

Jamie squeaked as the bag was jostled roughly, causing the captives to knock into each other. The bag hit the ground with a thump, waking the previously sleeping Sophie. Immediately tears started to fall as fear overtook her. The bag was gently lifted off the ground and a deep Australian* accent filtered its way through the burlap. "Take it easy, ankle bitahs. You're gonna be fine. Don't be scared," it soothed. Jack huffed indignantly at that while Sophie ceased her sobs.

"Oh yeah. You kidnap some kids, shove them in a sack, then you tell that they're going to be fine and don't be afraid. That makes perfect sense." Sarcasm dripped from Jack's statement, practically tangible.

The only response he got was the feeling that the bag was moving at a very fast pace in an unknown direction. After what seemed like hours, and probably was, the feeling of movement stopped, and the bag gently was lowered to the ground. Light filtered in as the bindings on the bag were loosened and the captive children freed from their cloth prison. Jack gripped his staff tightly in one arm while holding Sophie just as tightly in the other. He wasn't surprised to find that they were in the Winter Warren, given their kidnappers were, but Jamie and Sophie obviously were.

"Jack? Where are we?" Jamie whispered, barely holding back a stutter as it faintly reached Jack's ears. Jack looked down at the boy, a fierce look of determination on his face.

"We're… we're at the Winter Warren. But I'm gonna get us out of here." Jack assured in the same volume, crouching down closer to the boy so it was easier to hear. He intended to keep that promise too, somehow. He looked around the large space, taking in the fact that it was in fact warm in this place, and instead of lots of snow and Ice like he had heard, there was green grass, flowers, and trees. It actually reminded him of the Warren, Bunnymund's home. If he ignored the fact that the walls were all carved in ice, making the light very bright as the sun reflected repeatedly off the walls.

Now that he was done looking at the cavernous space, he looked around for their abductor, finding the guy right behind him, face expressionless. He was white with almost black markings standing out like warning signs. Standing at 5"11, he was pretty tall.

"So, why are we here?" Jack asked conversationally. He already knew that all Pookas could see him, so he knew if he didn't get an answer he was purposely getting ignored.

The Winter Pooka gave him a calculating look, as though weighing the pros and cons of answering him. "Ya should know why yer here. The human adults all are scramblin' around tryin' ta protect ya from it, anyways," came the gruff reply.

Jack nodded. "Yes, but I want to hear you say it."

The pooka glared at him and huffed. "Yer here because we're teachin' ya humans a lesson. Yer ruining the Earth and not carin'. So we're takin' what they care about most and changin' it ta somethin' that does care abou' nature." Which Jack was extremely offended by, saying as he was a nature spirit, and his whole life was making sure that nature was okay.

"Okay. But why take kids? They haven't done anything yet! Most of your victims are barely old enough to talk let alone pollute the Earth!" Jack said, real anger leaking into his voice.

The overgrown rabbit looked taken aback at the outburst. "It's because of that we take 'em. Before they can do any damage." The reply had a sliver of anger, as though he couldn't believe a kid was standing up to him.

"Yes, but you aren't giving them a chance to change things. Let these two go home. Please." Jack said, hoping that he could get through.

The pooka looked at him curiously, as though he were a puzzle that the furry being had to put together. "Just those two? You'll stay behind?"

Jack wasn't going to be pulled into staying, but he could do something else. "If you let these two go home, without taking the potion-thingy, and completely unharmed, I will willingly take the stupid thing. Deal?"

He had carefully avoided saying he would stay after he took the potion, giving himself a loop hole. The Winter Pooka considered his offer before nodding. Jack set Sophie on the floor with her brother before stepping back. He walked over to the white pooka and held out his hand. The pooka shook it, sealing the deal.

"Jack! No!" Jamie got out as the ground beneath him melted and he was on a one way trip to Burgess. Jack turned back to the pooka. He was forcibly holding back tears in his eyes as his head analyzed what it had just agreed to. He knew that he would have two hours to get out of this place after he took the potion before he changed.

The pooka looked at him, and his eyes had a shadow of respect in them. "Come. We might as well get this over with now." Jack was led away, occasionally passing more Winter Pooka, who all bowed away respectively from the pooka escorting Jack. After about the third time, Jack's curiosity got the best of him.

"Why do they do that?" Jack blurted.

The pooka looked at him blankly, not understanding. "Do what?"

"Why do they all-" another pooka backed away respectively. "do that?" Jack said, gesturing to where the other pooka had been moments ago.

The pooka's face morphed to one of understanding, and a chuckle burst out. "Oh, that. It's respectful. I'm Tribe Leader. Surprised ya noticed that. None of the other ankle bitahs did. Course, none of them were comin' along willingly." His explanation sated Jack's curiosity. For the moment. "So what spirit are ya, kid?"

Jack wasn't surprised that the pooka had figured it out. He was actually more surprised by the fact that it had taken him so long to. "I'm Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter." He wondered if the Winter Pooka saw the irony in that. Judging from the laugh that came, he did.

"So that's why ya did it. I knew that no kid in this age would have given up himself for a couple of kids." Jack was ushered into a room that was carved into the ice. A long line of bottles rested on carved shelves, twinkling menacingly at Jack. The pooka took one of the bottles and handed it to Jack. "Here. Drink."

Jack did as he was ordered and took a sip from the bottle. He would have spit it back out had his nose suddenly been covered, forcing him to swallow. "That was disgusting!"

"Yeah, now keep drinkin' it. Ya have ta drink the whole thing." Jack slowly finished it, shuddering as the last of it went down.

"I now see why you hide it in sweets." Jack gagged again at the after taste, and the Winter Pooka chuckled.

Jack was lead back outside, his staff clutched tightly in his hand as his stomach turned. He finally saw a space high enough for him to fly, and he shot into the air, hovering twenty feet above the ground. "Well, I can't say I enjoyed being here, but I have to go." Throwing a snow globe that he had for emergencies, one that would take him straight to one of the Guardian's homes. Jack gave a little wave at the shocked Tribe Leader before disappearing into the vortex of colors.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

The Pookas Point of View:

The Winter Pooka had been lurking around Burgess that day, looking for potential targets. He had finally settled on the three children joyfully skating over an icy surface that never seemed to melt. The older boy, the one with white hair, skated expertly across the ice, even though he had no shoes on. The younger two just laughed and enjoyed themselves, never straying far from the older boy. The pooka watched them, entranced as the sun set and they finally departed from the ice, the older boy carrying the sleeping girl. He followed silently, waiting for his chance to strike.

He listened to the boys tease each other, and that was the moment he struck, a magical burlap sack capturing the three, while the younger boy yelled out a name, he assumed it belonged to the older boy. He opened a tunnel and dropped the bag into it before wincing as he realized that that had probably not been the best idea. He hopped in after it, hearing a child crying. "Take it easy, ankle bitahs. You're gonna be fine. Don't be scared," he soothed, hoping it would work. He heard an indignant huff, but the crying did stop.

"Oh yeah. You kidnap some kids, shove them in a sack, then you tell that they're going to be fine and don't be afraid. That makes perfect sense," came a voice from inside, sarcasm dripping from it. The pooka ignored it and picked up the bag in his teth, racing down the tunnel to his home. Finally getting there, he set the bag down gently, loosening the ties so it opened. He took a step back as the older boy looked around and whispered assurances to the younger boy. The older boy finally turned to look at him, not looking too surprised.

"So, why are we here?" The white haired boy asked.

The Pooka intently tried to keep the annoyed look off his face as he answered. "Ya should know why yer here. The human adults all are scramblin' around tryin' ta protect ya from it, anyways," came the gruff reply.

The boy nodded. "Yes, but I want to hear you say it."

The pooka glared at him and huffed. "Yer here because we're teachin' ya humans a lesson. Yer ruining the Earth and not carin'. So we're takin' what they care about most and changin' it ta somethin' that does care abou' nature." The boy looked miffed about this, as though he had taken personal offense to it.

"Okay. But why take kids? They haven't done anything yet! Most of your victims are barely old enough to talk let alone pollute the Earth!" He said, real anger leaking into his voice.

The overgrown rabbit looked taken aback at the outburst. "It's because of that we take 'em. Before they can do any damage." The pooka hadn't been able to keep back the sliver of anger that slipped into his tone.

"Yes, but you aren't giving them a chance to change things. Let these two go home. Please." The boy said, taking the pooka aback. Why didn't he include himself?

The pooka studied the boy curiously, as though he were a puzzle that the furry being had to put together. "Just those two? You'll stay behind?"

The boy seemed to debate this until he gave his answer. "If you let these two go home, without taking the potion-thingy, and completely unharmed, I will willingly take the stupid thing. Deal?"

The pooka nodded and watched as the boy set the girl in his arms down, next to the younger boy and stepped away to shake the pooka's paw, sealing the deal. Two silent taps on the ground later, the younger children were standing on the entrance to a tunnel that would take them back home. "Jack! No!" The younger boy shouted before the thin shell of earth he was standing on melted, shooting the boy and girl away.

The pooka looked at the white haired boy, calculating his response. He saw the child's eyes fill with tears before they were fought down again. The pooka was impressed the boy had not tried to jump in after to escape, but instead had stayed to face his decision. Of course, the Winter Tribe would have simply caught him again to finish the deal, but that wouldn't have been as pleasant for the boy. "Come. We might as well get this over with now."

He led the white haired boy through his home to the room where the potions were kept, barely acknowledging the other pookas, instead watching the boy's reaction. So he was completely at a loss when the young male asked him why they were doing that.

"Do what?"

"Why do they all-" The boy paused as another pooka bowed away from him respectively, "do that?" The boy gestured to where the pooka had previously been.

The pooka understood what the boy was asking finally. "Oh, that. It's respectful. I'm Tribe Leader. Surprised ya noticed that. None of the other ankle bitahs did. Course, none of them were comin' along willingly." The boy seemed satisfied, if a little upset, with that answer. "So what spirit are ya, kid?" The Tribe Leader had finally come to the conclusion that the boy must be a spirit to have such a good character and to be so selfless.

"I'm Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter." The pooka let a laugh slip out of his mouth as he thought of irony of the fact that the Spirit of Winter had been captured by the Winter Tribe. The pooka only wished he had been caught sooner.

"So that's why ya did it. I knew that no kid in this age would have given up himself for a couple of kids." He led the small spirit into a room that was carved in ot the Warren's ice walls. A long line of bottles rested on carved shelves, neatly placed so they could be grabbed quickly if an emergency were to occur. The pooka took one of the bottles and handed it to Jack. "Here. Drink."

The boy took the potion and took a large sip, almost spitting it back out. The pooka was not having a perfectly good potion wasted so he forced the boy to swallow. He chuckled at the outburst he received after.

"That was disgusting!"

"Yeah, now keep drinkin' it. Ya have ta drink the whole thing." Jack slowly finished it, shuddering as the last of it went down.

"I now see why you hide it in sweets." Jack gagged again at the after taste, and the Winter Pooka chuckled again.

He led the winter spirit out of the room and back out into the cavernous Winter Warren. Quick as lightning, the boy was flying twenty feet above, looking ill. "Well, I can't say I enjoyed being here, but I have to go." With that, the boy disappeared into some kind of portal that had appeared near the boy. The Winter Pooka narrowed his eyes at the now empty air, thinking of a way to catch the spirit for breaking their deal, before realizing that the boy hadn't broken the deal. He had agreed to take the potion, but never to stay.

But the Winter Tribe Leader was intent on catching this child. To have the Bringer of Winter with the Winter Tribe would be a terrific achievement. He had to get the boy before something messed up his forming plan.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

Jack's Point of View:

Jack flew out of the portal unsteadily, the wind almost dropping him. He recognized the place as the Warren, which he found very comforting. "Wind, take me to Bunny." The wind complied, swirling scoldingly around her boy as she did so.

Jack landed, falling in front of Bunny the moment his feet and legs were forced to support his weight. "Jack!" Bunny yelped as he saw the boy collapse before him. "What happened ta ya, Frostbite?"

"Jamie and Sophie… Took them ice skating… got kidnapped by Winter Pooka Tribe Leader… Got them away without them getting the potion…" Jack panted out, knowing his two hours was almost up. It had taken well over an hour for the Wind to find Bunny, not to mention the ten minutes before his escape.

"What do ya… Frostbite, did ya take that damn potion?" Bunny asked.

"Y-yeah. The only way I could get Jamie and Sophie back home safely… I took the potion… over an hour and a half ago… Bunny, it hurts." Jack's whole body was on fire, barely able to move, and speaking was like trying to breathe through a straw that was clogged.

Bunny gave him a look that Jack had seen on some fathers when they found out their child was in pain. "I know Jackie, I know it hurts, but you'll be fine. I'm proud of ya. Ya basically gave up everything ta help those two ankle bitahs. Not many would do that." He bundled Jack up in his arms and hopped to his home, getting there not a moment too soon. A bright light surrounded Jack, and a sharp pain, even hotter than the burning sensation that had enveloped him earlier, seemed to come from everywhere at once.

The light finally faded to reveal Jack once more, but Jack knew he wasn't the same. He knew his old pants had been torn apart during the change, but his hoodie was still intact. He could hear better, and smell better, and he bet that if he opened his eyes, his vision would be sharper as well. He heard Bunny give out a sharp gasp as the pooka saw him, and Jack's eyes fluttered open.

He was right. His vision was a lot better. Bunny stared down at him, and Jack forced himself to stand. "Are ya taller, Bunny?" Jack said as he noticed that Bunny was taller than he was used to.

Bunny let out a dry chuckle. "Well, at least ya can't tease me for my accent anymore. Nah, kit, ya shrunk. Yer, what, three and a half feet tall?"

"What!" Jack hissed. He felt his head, as though he could find his lost height. All he found were ears, which he prodded. "Ah! I look like a… bunny!" Jack said, cutting himself off before he could insult himself.

"What were ya gonna say, Frostbite? Were ya gonna say kangaroo?" Bunny said, smirking widely.

"Yes. But now I realize that I don't look like a kangaroo. I'm too short!" Jack made a weak attempt at a comeback.

"Yeah, ya look more like a joey!" Bunny looked like he was trying to hold back laughter.

"No!" Jack protested, before stumbling away clumsily on his new legs.

Bunny let him get about ten feet away. "Jack, get back here." Jack ignored him. "Kit! I said get. Back. Here." With that last word, he stomped his foot on the ground, hard. Jack's body reacted without thought, zipping back over to Bunny and pressing close to the elder pooka.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

Bunny was surprised by the reaction he had gotten, before that feeling was replaced with smug pride. Kits only reacted that way when their parents stomped. Jack had subconsciously just declared Bunny his father. He smiled wider as Jack rubbed his newly furry head against his stomach, his mind still probably lagging behind the instincts that had overcome the kit.

"That's what I thought, Snowball." The name fit Jack at the moment. The kit had pure white fur, not old enough to have any markings, except for the single grey leaf like pattern that had moments ago appeared on his forehead. It matched Bunny's own, marking Jack for all pookas to see as E. Aster Bunnymund's kit.

Jack snapped out of whatever it had been that he was stuck in, his brain taking back control of his body. He pulled back embarrassedly, or at least tried to. Bunny pulled him close, chinning the kit, continuing to do so until his scent was easy to distinguish on Jack. "B-bunny! Let me go!" Jack said, squirming away clumsily, still not used to his new body.

Bunny held him for a moment longer, just to annoy him. If Bunny had to guess, Jack was about six in pooka years, so Bunny tried to remember how to care for a six year old. This was going to be harder than he thought. First thing first, though, he had to show the other Guardians Jack's new form. It wasn't a pleasant truth, but this particular transformation was not undoable. Jack was going to be stuck like this for the rest of his immortal life.

"Come on, Snowball. Let's show the other Guardians yer new makeover." With a sigh, Bunny tapped his foot, a tunnel at his feet. Jack's staff was nowhere in sight, but he decided that they could look for it later. He nudged Jack into the tunnel, the staff appearing out of nowhere it seemed as the boy resisted the tunnel's dark entrance. With an impatient huff, Bunny grabbed Jack's scruff with his teeth, racing down the tunnel at high speeds, Jack complaining the whole way.

"Bunny! Put me down!" Jack's voice was higher than it had been when he was human, childish and pleading. Bunny ignored him until he exited the tunnel into the cold.

Setting Jack safely on the ground above before jumping out himself. Bunny cursed as his feet touched the frozen landscape before grabbing Jack once more.

"Bunny! Let me go! I can fly!" Jack squirmed away from his chosen father, hoping to be able to take to the air. Amazingly enough, it was the wind itself that kept him in Bunny's strong grasp. Bunny silently thanked the wind for her help as he set off once more to North's Workshop. Finally making it to the Globe Room in the center of the workshop, he set Jack down, calling for North.

"NORTH! WE HAVE A PROBLEM, MATE!" While waiting for North to finally arrive, he set his mind to the task of keeping Jack firmly on the ground.

"Jackie, ya need ta stay on the ground. I don't want ya flyin' off in yer current state. Not so soon after ya changed." Bunny sad after the third time he pulled Jack back to the ground.

"Bunny! What is probl- oh!" North said as he entered the room, stopping as he saw Jack. "Bunny! Is dat Jack?"

"Yeah, mate. He got kidnapped by the bloody Winter Tribe and took that damn potion ta save Jamie and Sophie." Bunny explained hurriedly.

"We must gather de others!" With that, North sent out the Northern Lights.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

Sometimes Bunny's, sometimes Jack's POV:

Jack's head was feeling fuzzy. He kept trying to remember his past, when he was human to entertain himself, but the memories kept slipping away. He had known this would happen. There was a special part of the potion that led to memory loss. It left the victim with nothing but a blank slate and instincts to guide them. It was one of the first things he had thought of after he had taken the potion. He had just gotten his memories back, just visited his sister's grave, said his final goodbye, but now he was losing them all again. But instead of an instantaneous mind wipe like the Moon had done, it was fading slowly, like it was mocking his inability to stop it.

"Bunny, my memories. They're already startin' ta go." Jack whimpered. He was holding back soft sobs behind those. Bunny must have heard them, though, because the anthropomorphic rabbit scooped him up and held him close as Tooth and Sandy flew in at the same time.

"North! What is it? Is it Pitch?" Tooth was the first to speak, and Sandy supplied a fancy question mark over his head helpfully.

"No, it is not Pitch. It is different problem." He gestured to Bunny and Jack. Jack buried his head shyly into Bunny's shoulder.

"Jack?" Tooth asked, pulling Jack gently away from Bunny. Bunny explained what had happened again as Jack was cuddled close to Tooth.

"What exactly does the potion do?" Tooth asked as dream sand began to swirl around Jack's head.

"It… It changes ya inta a pooka. It changes yer age ta what ya would be if ya were born a pooka and ya had lived for as long as ya had when ya had been human. Yer memories… It takes those too, except for the barest trace. Yer most recent memories, up till about a year before ya changed, ya keep those, but the rest… The rest are gone forever. Jack, he's gonna lose them all, and… after ya take the potion… there is no changin' ya back. Yer stuck like it forever. Jack's immortal. He's gonna be stuck like a kit for the rest of his life. And he lives forever." Bunny felt so much hatred for the Winter Tribe, especially their Tribe Leader. That pooka acted kind, but he was all about getting trophies, and Jack would be a prime target for them if he had revealed who he truly was.

Shaking Jack awake, he said, "Jackie, did ya tell the Winter Tribe Leader who ya were?"

"Uh, yes. I did. Why?"

"He likes trophies." That was all the explanation he gave, but everyone got the message. Jack's staff appeared in his hand, being pulled from his pocket. Bunny realized Jack must have enchanted his hoodie at some point in his life so he could carry large objects easily.

Jack took to the air, searching for an open window to escape from. He was not going to put his family in danger.

"Snowball! Get back here!" Jack turned around, ears perked, remembering the last time Bunny had said something very similar not to long ago. Maybe only two hours in fact. He hovered, debating on listening before deciding he would rather leave and deal with this on his own. He turned his back once more.

"JACK!" Bunny's warning tone caused him to turn around once more. Bunny's foot was raised warningly about a foot in the air. "Get. Back. Here. Now." Jack eyed Bunny's still hovering foot warily. The other Guardians were watching them with confused looks on their faces. Jack zoomed closer, almost within grabbing range of Bunny. He hovered once more as he stuck out his tongue at Bunny childishly before zooming away again.

"Make me!" He challenged, not thinking Bunny would actually go through with his implied threat.

"Fine." Bunny said calmly, moments before he slammed his foot down hard onto the hard surface that made up the Workshop's floors. The effect was immediate. Jack's mind went blank as he flew meekly to Bunny's side, ears, eyes, and head lowered. The other Guardians were now very amused by the fact that the untamable as the wind Jack Frost had been turned into a scolded child by merely the stomp of a paw.

Bunny smirked as he cuffed the kit over the head. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He ruffled his head fondly as Jack snapped out of his instincts.

"Bunny! Stop doin' that! It's not fair!" Jack snapped angrily, ears raising again in anger.

"Sure I'll stop. When ya start listening. It's fair, too. Ya did tell me ta make ya. Now ya aren't gonna go runnin' off on yer own ta handle this. Yer gonna stay at the Warren where that bloody Winter can't get ya. Ya understand?" Bunny said, fully expecting Jack to nod and be done with it.

But Jack still hadn't learned his lesson about listening. "Bu-" Bunny stomped his foot again, cutting Jack off. Jack's ears were down in a heartbeat. He was staring down at his feet, hiding what Bunny guessed was anger.

"I asked if ya understood, kit." Bunny growled.

"Yes, I understand." Jack ground out the words, unable to keep his mou- er, muzzle shut. He was starting to really hate his situation. It had to be Bunny of all people his head could have chosen to be his father, it had to be Bunny. He continued to glare at the floor, refusing to look at Bunny. Damn his ears as well. They kept displaying his emotions to the world, and after three hundred years of hiding his emotions and wearing a mask for the world to see, it was frustrating that his mask was being trumped by his stupid fuzzy appendages that were stuck to the top of his head.

"Good. Now we're going back ta the Warren. Understood?" This time Jack nodded immediately, not wanting to repeat the last three minutes. "Glad ya do, kit." Bunny said as he created a new tunnel to the Warren. "In." He ordered Jack. Jack took his time, just to annoy the overgrown garden rabbit. Bunny huffed and gave him a shove, and Jack would never admit to the strangled yelp that flew from his mouth as he suddenly found no floor beneath him. Bunny went in after him, leaving the other three Guardians to look at each other as they realised this was going to be harder to deal with than they could have guessed. Bunny and Jack both were stubborn. But what was the worst that could happen? Famous last words.

_**A/N: So, wow. That is a lot longer than I thought it would be. It actually is the longest thing I have ever written. I should not have written this. I should have worked on my other stories. But this idea wouldn't leave me alone, so here ya go. Have fun, Review it! I need to work on my other stories now...**_


	2. Return to the Winter Warren

_**A/N: Hey, I just realize that I forgot to put in the last chap that in my stories, pookas all have Australian accents… If you have any questions later on, this is where I will answer them, but so far no questions, though I do have to thank Violet653, I love the cookies! Thank you SO MUCH!**_

Jack decidedly did NOT like the tunnels. Well, as long as it was going into them against his will. But they also could make a great slide if he let himself enjoy it. Which he was not, mostly because everytime he tried to right himself as he sped down the seemingly endless tunnel, he would receive a sharp nudge that kept him on his back as he rode out the trip. It annoyed him to no end as he struggled to not flip head over heals through the tunnel.

"Bunny! I f-" He got another sharp nudge before he could complete his sentence, this one actually causing him to tumble in a summersault for a few moments before Jack was able to right himself some what.

"Watch yer bloody language, kit." His chosen guardian growled at him. Jack tried once more to right himself, only to be knocked back once more.

"Well I WOULD, but I can't bring myself to care, I'm a little more worried on trying to sit up at the moment." Jack snarled back at him. Just to prove a point, Bunny nudged Jack once more, knocking him flat once more.

"You don't need ta be sittin' up. Ya cause less trouble when yer like that." Bunny held back a chuckle as Jack defiantly tries to sit up again only to be knocked back down, courtesy of Bunny. This continued until they reached the end of the tunnel. Bunny sped ahead of Jack and caught the boy at the lip of the tunnel, where there was about a half a foot drop.

Jack struggled out of Bunny's grip, hating the fact that he had to depend on Bunny to take care of him because he couldn't do it himself. At least he wasn't being controlled by instincts anymore. Or, well, mostly. His body and powers refused to take him away from the Warren, making escape impossible. So he was stuck in the Warren with a grumpy kangaroo. Who was starting to look like a very strict parent.

Bunny snorted as Jack stumbled to his feet. He was struggling to not just pick the kit up and carry him. Six year old kits were not known for their ability to walk. In pookan ages, six years was still a very young toddler, basically. Almost an infant still. Bunny hadn't been around an actual kit in years. Centuries, even.

Jack finally got his feet under him and managed to stand. That was actually easier said than done. Bunny had an amused expression on his furry face, causing Jack to scowl self consciously. He tried to remember the last time he had felt like this, but was horrified to find that not only could he not remember a time that it had occurred, but the only thing that he could remember from his human life was his death. Jack held back a sob as he found he could not remember his father's face, nor his mother's. Not even their voices.

His attitude had turned a 180 as he held back the tears. He went from a defiant teen to a scared child in the course of a minute. Bunny somehow picked up on this because he scooped Jack up once more and nuzzled him close. It was only when Jack's shoulders started shaking that he realized he was crying. He couldn't remember the last time he cried, either, making him cry harder.

"Shh, Snowball. It's okay. What did you forget?" Bunny's voice had gone from stern to soft and understanding.

"I can't remember m-my parents. I can't even remember their voices. All's I can remember is saving my sister, her name was… It was…. I can't remember! I can't remember her name!" Jack felt like he had failed her, the little girl with… what color were her eyes again? Or her hair? Her face was rapidly disappearing, along with the memory of the ice and it's cold darkness. His last human memories drifted away, leaving him wondering what he was crying over.

He cast teary azure eyes up at Bunny with a look of confusion on his face. "Bunny? Why am I crying? I can't remember…" Jack realized that that was probably why he was crying. The potion must have eaten away some of his memories. He wondered what they could have been.

Memories of being walked through for the first time, the first time he met another spirit, him meeting Mother Nature and his siblings for the first time, the first magic snowflake, each time he broke a bone, the first beating he ever received for causing it to snow where it wasn't wanted. Every little thing of knowledge he had acquired over his 300 years was disappearing. This scared Jack more than Pitch ever could. When memories of the past year started to fade, he started to panic.

"Bunny, I thought you said that I would keep my memories of the past year!" Bunny looked at him, expression unreadable.

"Ya will. They'll just be gone for a little while. Ya aren't going to have ANY memories for a while…" So that is why Bunny was so sad. Jack wouldn't have his memories. Jack was trying not to feel even more upset.

Memories of playing with Jamie and his friends, the sled ride that knocked out Jamies tooth, getting kidnapped by yetis after talking to Bunny about something that was called the blizzard of '68, North trying to recruit him, the doll that showed your center, the sleigh ride, his earlier fight with Bunny, fighting at the Tooth Palace, Baby Tooth, Pitch's attack, the collecting the teeth with the other Guardians, Sandy's death, painting the eggs, bringing Sophie home, getting his memory box from Pitch, the betrayal from the Guardians, Antarctica, his fight with Pitch, his staff being broken, getting his memories back, fixing his staff, making Jamie believe in Bunny again, finding his center, defeating Pitch, Sandy's return, becoming an official Guardian, becoming part of a family, playing with Jamie and Sophie, the Pookan War against the humans, the bans on sweets, the ice skating, getting kidnapped, trading his life for two children, Bunny taking him to the Pole, the Guardian's meeting only hours earlier, it all slipped away, leaving a blank slate for the kit. The last things to go were four faces, starting with North, then Sandy, then Tooth, and finally Bunny, and his name, the poor kit couldn't remember his own name. But he didn't dwell on it. He had fallen asleep during this unwilling mind wipe, his brain shutting down to protect the kit's sanity.

Bunny stared at the sleeping kit in his arms, dreading the moment when he would wake up with nothing. Bunny carried him by his scruff to his burrow, kit in his mouth so he could run on all fours. Jack curled up into a ball, making it easier to carry him, an instinct all kits had. Bunny set the small kit down in Bunny's own nest before worrying what he should do. He didn't want to stay because Jack might freak out when he woke up to see a total stranger, but he also didn't want to leave should the kit awaken and have a panic attack when he found himself alone. Bunny's instincts told him not to leave his kit alone, but his brain was insisting he leave.

In the end, instincts won and Bunny curled protectively around the small bundle of white and followed the kit's example by falling asleep.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

The kit awoke to the comforting sound of someone else's breathing, and warmth surrounding him, making him feel safe. It would have been comfortable, except for the fact that he couldn't remember anything.

He struggled to sit up fully but was being held down firmly by a furry arm. He let out a little grol of frustration and the arm moved. Finally free, he sat up and looked around. He was in a nest of some sort, full of soft grass and fur, making him want to snuggle back into the folds of sleep. He decided to look at who was supplying the warmth around him, finding it to be an adult pooka. His instincts told him that he could trust this person, so he did. But that person appeared to be asleep, which he did not appreciate.

He nudged the bigger head with his muzzle, trying to get the elder pooka to open his eyes. They twitched, but that was it. He tried again, this time getting him to mutter, "Jack, stop it. Let me sleep." The kit realized that HE must be Jack, so Jack nudged the other pooka once more.

An eye cracked open and closed before both of them flew open and the older pooka jack-knifed into a sitting position. Jack, startled, fell back with a squeak. The older pooka saw this and gave a chuckle. Jack did not like being laughed at, so he said, "It's not nice ta laugh at people. Who are ya anyway?" An accent reached his ears, sounding out of place to him.

"E. Aster Bunnymund, but you can call me Bunny." The voice had the same accent, and made him feel reassured.

"Are ya my Da?" Jack didn't know why he thought that, but Bunny gave him the feeling a father would when he's around his children, safe and protected.

Bunny froze at the question, then relaxed. "Yeah, kit, I'm yer Da." Jack's face split into a smile and he nuzzled against Bunny's side. Bunny seemed at a loss as to what he should do. He finally decided to just chin the kit, which must have been the right thing to do, because Jack began to purr.

Well, Bunny probably wouldn't have to worry about Jack being so… Jack. Which is to say stubborn, arrogant, disobedient, overly independent. But Jack also would be Jack. Fun, clever, mischievous, selfless, prankster, trouble maker. He would be a blank slate for a while. It was different for every person who took the potion.

"Da, why can't I remember anything." Bunny smiled as Jack curled up against him, knowing that if Jack even had one single memory of Bunny he would never do so. Or it could just be because Jack called him his father.

"You will remember soon, kit. Ya just have to be patient." Bunny chuckled at the scowl on Jack's face when he was informed that he would have to be patient. "Do ya know what patience is?"

"Does it mean being bored while waiting forever?" Jack's answer was spot on in Jack's own opinion. Waiting was boring.

"Close enough." Bunny didn't feel like explaining the word more in depth. Jack started to squirm around, not being able sit still for so long. He really wanted to be moving around. Wait. How did he know if he could walk? Well, he hadn't known he could talk, either, so maybe he did and just didn't know it. Only one way to find out.

Jack wiggled away from Bunny and went to the edge of the large nest he had woken up in. Well, he could definitely hop. He tettered on the edge, not sure if he would be able to make the two foot drop. Trial and error seemed to work best so far, so he hopped off the edge and landed as a fluffy bundle on the floor. Maybe he should have thought about whether he could LAND or not, because he could definitely not land on his feet.

"Note to self, don't jump off of high places if you don't know how to land." He muttered to himself. He picked himself up, glad that he found he could stand. Mostly. He wobbled as he tried to keep his balance, holding onto the edge of the nest to ensure he didn't fall. He took a hesitant step forward, almost falling right away.

He made a wild grab for the edge of the nest, barely catching it before he fell. He was tempted to just give up on walking with two feet in favor of just hopping. Hopping was a lot easier.

Bunny watch Jack as the kit attempted to walk without any help. Jack would normally be mortified that he was stumbling around. Jack NEVER stumbled. Never even tripped. Bunny was actually going to be a little sad when Jack stopped being all cute, cuddly, and clumsy. Jack fell as he took another step forward, too far away from the edge to grab it once more. "Ya shouldn't lean forward when yer trying to walk. Stand up straight. That way ya don't have ta worry about fallin' on yer face."

Jack took his advice and straightened. He actually managed to get about ten steps before he lost his balance again and tumbled forward. "Oof!" Jack groaned as he sat dejectedly. "I'm bored."

Bunny raised his eyebrows. He hadn't even been trying to walk for five minutes and he was BORED? "What do you want to do?"

Jack's eyes lit up. "I want to play a game!" Bunny fought the urge to shake his head in amazement at the boy's excitement.

"What game do you want to play?" Bunny didn't know why he asked, Jack couldn't remember any games.

"Hide and Seek! I remember how to play! Can we play Hide and Seek, Da?" Scratch that. Jack could remember games. And he still loved them as much as he did before.

"Sure Jack, we can play Hide and Seek. But we should play outside. I don't want ya breakin' anything here in the burrow." He ushered the kit out into the Warren, where he looked around in wonder.

"Wow… This is going to be so cool! There is hundreds of places to hide!" Oh Joy. More places the kit can get lost in. "Your IT!" Jack laughter followed the boy as he hopped away, going slow compared to what he usually did. Bunny watched him disappear behind a rocky outcrop before sighing and counting in his head, giving Jack time to hide.

"Ready or not, here I come!" He shouted, remembering the time Jack had managed to get him to play it and scolded him for not saying when he was done counting. He knew exactly where Jack was, though Jack's giggling helped a bit. Bunny knew where anything touching the Earth was in his Warren, a fact that he had shared with Jack that one other time they had played, when Jack was still human.

He decided that he would humor Jack, pretending he didn't know where he was. "Now where could he be?" Bunny pretended to look under some bushes, knowing that Jack was on the other side of the clearing he was in. After a while, Bunny decided it was time to finish the game and went to Jack's hiding spot.

"Is he under here?" Bunny looked under the roots of a big tree, and was extremely surprised when he did not find Jack there. "Huh, where could he be?" This brought giggles from above him. Bunny looked up to see a very smug Jack sitting on a very high branch. "How did ya get up there, ya dill?" Bunny couldn't keep the worry from his voice. Jack could barely walk. How had he figured out how to climb?

"I FLEW! The wind picked me up and made me fly!" Just what Bunny needed. An amnesic Jack flying around. The good thing was that Jack seemed to have a lot more balance than he had had at the beginning of the game. And his staff, which was held with the expertise of the old Jack, even twirling around a bit. "Oh, and I remember that I can make snow! Like, I can actually MAKE IT SNOW!" To prove it, Jack tapped his staff against the tree, frost spiraling down to the bottom, making the tree look out of place in the eternal spring.

Jack flew up in the air, high above Bunny. Good thing he seemed to retain his ability to fly well. Else he would be explaining a Jack pancake to the other Guardians. "Jack, why don't ya come back down here. If ya fall, it's gonna hurt a lot worse than falling from two feet." Bunny silently admitted that he was worried about Jack's safety.

"Aww, ya DO care." Bunny's ears twitched at that. He wondered where that had come from, but he wasn't going to dwell on it. The fact that Jack was starting to get some of his memories back was a good sign. He might even have all the memories of the past year back by tomorrow.

Jack flew back to the ground, much to Bunny's relief. "Can we play again?"

"Sure, but stay on the ground. Some of us can't fly." Jack eagerly nodded and ran to hide once more.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

After hours of playing, Bunny finally managed to get Jack to stop playing the game, pieces of his memories returning as they did. But with his memories returning, so did his attitude. He wasn't going to be able take much more of it on his own, so he was going to call in a friend who was used to taking care of little ones. Also known as the Tooth Fairy.

"Jack, STAY. You are ta stay right there until I get back. Don't move from that nest." Bunny had forced Jack to sit on his nest, something Jack had been less than happy with. Bunny had solidified his decision to go for help after Jack froze half the Warren when Bunny had tried to get him to eat.

***Flashback***

"Jack, ya need ta eat. I can hear yer stomach from here."

"Da, from what I can remember, I DON'T EAT! I haven't EVER eaten."

Jack had also remembered the fact that he had been human, so that had led to an argument. "Yeah, but ya were also human, and now ya are a kit, whose stomach is growling louder by the minute." Bunny probably shouldn't have yelled, because Jack's ears pressed against his head, a kit's instinctual response to being scolded. Then they shot back up and defiance shone in Jack's eyes. Jack slammed his staff on the ground, Winter Magic spreading from it, coating everything, spreading out of the burrow and into the actual Warren. Five minutes later, Bunny managed to shovel enough snow away to get out of his home to look into a winter wonderland that covered half of his realm.

"I. Am not. Eating." Jack's voice was hard as ice, promising a blizzard if he didn't get his way.

Bunny had growled at the kit, but wasn't willing to force him to obey. Yet. "Fine. Ya don't have ta eat taday, but ya WILL eat yer food tomorrow. I am not going ta be happy if I have ta force ya ta eat."

"Oh, this is ya happy? Could have fooled me." Jack scoffed. Bunny rolled his eyes.

"Come on, ya drongo." With that, he snatch up Jack and half dragged, half carried the Winter Spirit to his nest.

***End of Flashback***

"Why do I have ta? Who was the idiot who made ya the boss of me?" Jack challenged.

Bunny smirked, glad he could use his answer against the kid. "That would be YOU, kit." Jack's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. "Now stay."

Jack's eyes hardened once more, but Bunny swiped the staff away before Jack could freeze the other half of the Warren. "Ya can have this back when I get back."

Jack stomped his foot in frustration, frost spreading around him. "That's not fair! I don't take away yer boomerangs when I'm mad at ya!"

"That would be because ya can't even reach them! Now are ya gonna stay?" Bunny glared down at Jack, daring him to say no. Unfortunately, Jack always rose to a challenge.

"Nope! I'm outta here!" With that, Jack hopped angrily off of the nest, out the door, and into the Warren. Bunny made no move to stop him, knowing he couldn't get out. Bunny waited until Jack stormed angrily back into the room, a scowl etched on his face. "I hate you."

Bunny chuckled, ignoring the twinge in his chest when Jack said that. "Yeah, sure ya do. Now will ya stay?"

"No. I'm gonna find a way I can get out of here, and freeze the other half of the Warren." If looks could kill, Manny would be having trouble bringing Bunny back to life.

Bunny ground his teeth, REALLY not wanting to force Jack to do things. But his patience was shot, so Bunny couldn't give himself a good enough reason not to. "Jack. Ya are going ta stay here, in this nest, until I get back. Understood?" At understood, he slammed his foot down.

Jack flinched but nodded. With that, Bunny opened a tunnel to the Tooth Palace. If only he had waited a few more minutes. Maybe then he could have stopped what was about to happen.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

The moment Bunny's tunnel closed, another one opened. Jack shrunk back against the earthen wall. He may not know a lot about stuff, or at least he couldn't remember it, but he was pretty sure other pookas weren't supposed to be in the Warren. Not without Bunny being there too.

A white pooka with blue tribal markings resembling the sun of all things hopped out of the tunnel. He towered over Jack, but he was definitely shorter than Bunny by at least two inches. He seemed familiar to Jack, but Jack couldn't place him. Maybe he was in one of his forgotten memories.

"Who are ya?" Jack's voice wavered a bit at the end as he tried to sink further into the wall.

"Ah, just who I was looking for. Ya aren't the easiest kit ta find." The white pooka looked down at Jack triumphantly, like a hunter who has caught a particularly rare prey. That look did not sit well with Jack, who tried to melt into the wall. The wall wouldn't comply, so Jack just resigned himself to just get as close to it as was physically possible. He didn't like this white pooka.

"Well, some people don't want ta be found. I don't remember you, but I don't like ya." Jack scowled at the unwanted visitor.

"Well where is the one watchin' aftah ya?" Jack wondered how the white pooka knew that he had someone to take care of him. His confused look must have tipped the other pooka off, because he said, "I can smell him on ya and ya have a markin' on yer head. It's not too hard ta guess." Well that made sense, he guessed.

"So again, who are ya, and why were ya looking for me?" Jack glared at the larger pooka who dared intrude on his new home.

"I'm the leader of the Winter Tribe. My people call me Phillippe. I am the reason ya are a pooka now. I changed ya. Ya should be with me. A winter spirit shouldn't be with someone from Spring." That was a huge mistake, saying that.

"First of all, I'm pretty sure I didn't go through it willingly, and second of all, I am not A winter spirit. I am THE Winter Spirit. No other spirits of winter. Just me. Jack Frost. Now leave me alone. I don't like you here, Phil."

The larger being chuckled at that and took a step closer. "Ya see, mate, that's gonna be a problem. Because I ain't leavin' here until I've got my prize. That prize just happens ta be YOU." Jack's eyes widened at the predatory smirk that dawned the other pooka's lips.

"I am NOT goin' with ya! I was told ta stay here." Jack crossed his arms defiantly, as though that gesture would change the other pooka's mind. The pooka growled, obviously displeased by this answer.

"Fine, we'll do this the hard way." With that, Jack found himself being yanked away from the ground, his stomach not happy with defying gravity. Jack was glad he had not eaten, otherwise, he would have lost his dinner. Jack swallowed the whimper that had leapt to his throat. He was not going to show that he was scared. Besides for his ears, of course, but they seemed to have an authority issue, mainly Jack's authority. They folded flat against his head as the kit glared at Phillippe, who held him by his scruff.

"Put. Me. Down." Jack sent out a wave of cold, difficult to keep control of without his staff to mediate his powers. Phillippe hissed and jostled Jack a little.

"Ya never DID tell me where your caretaker went." There was an implied order to tell the elder pooka what he wanted.

"He didn't tell me. Just to stay." Jack was wondering why it mattered so much to him.

Phillippe shook his head and hopped back into the tunnel he had appeared in, taking Jack unwillingly with him. Jack remembered that he had been alone for three hundred years, fighting away other spirits that wanted to harm him for being something he couldn't control. Jack knew how to fight, and as the earth closed over his head, sealing the tunnel from the world above, he struck out, hitting Phillippe. Phillippe dropped him, more from shock than actual pain.

Jack actually managed to land on his feet, stumbling slightly, but on his feet, nonetheless. "Fine. If ya want ta walk, ya can. But ya ARE going ta come."

"Not likely." Jack defiantly sat, making it apparent that he had no intention to move.

"Well, if ya insist." Jack had no idea what he had insisted, but the previously smooth ground became a steep slope that launched Jack to an unknown destination.

"I don't remember insisting this!" Jack shouted as he slid. He struggled to keep himself from slamming into the sides of the tunnel as it twisted and turned, sometimes turning in a full circle before continuing onward. Finally, the tunnel leveled out, coming to a standstill at a fork in the tunnel. One tunnel went left, the other went right, but both were dark and formed a flat wall between them that Jack crashed into.

"Ouch. That look liked it hurt." The white pooka's sarcasm was not appreciated. Jack would have given back a scathing remark, but his head was spinning and throbbing, a combination of the dizzying twists in the tunnel and the head first tumble into the wall.

"I suggest ya stop fighting me on movin'. Yer not goin' ta win. Unless ya want ta go slidin' down another tunnel…" Jack shook his head in defeat, slowly getting to his feet once more. He wanted to get out of this without breaking something in his body. "Good." Phillippe plucked Jack up once more and took off.

Jack closed his eyes, not wanting to make himself dizzier by looking at the wall shooting by in a blur of different hues of brown and blue. The tunnel was a mixture of ice and dirt, making it pleasantly cool, but at the same time reminding you were underground.

Finally Phillippe stopped, an opening appearing before them, light bursting from it, a stark contrast to the dark they had been enveloped in. Jack, luckily, was immune to snow blindness, so his eyes weren't affected by the sudden light that assaulted his coronas. Phillippe must have been immune to it as well, because he dropped Jack and continued forward without a pause. Jack followed behind, dragging his feet defiantly. This place looked familiar, and it was making his head hurt. Memories were flashing in his head at an unimaginable rate, going by so fast he couldn't see them, but the information was stuck in his head. they finally slowed a bit and then just stopped, leaving a considerably smaller blank in his memory.

He actually knew how much memory he had left to gain. One month, almost exactly. And he knew who Jamie was! Which meant he had remembered how to make magic snowballs. And his love for children. But mostly magic snowballs. Since Jack was lagging behind, he was able to scoop up some snow and mold it into a perfect sphere.

He decided that he wasn't going to enchant it, that a regular old snowball would work fine. He pulled back his arm then let it shoot forward, launching the snow into Phillippe's back. The Winter Tribe Leader froze in place. Not that he was actually FROZEN so much as he didn't move.

The lack of movement actually scared Jack more than it would have if Phillippe had turned and launched an attack. Jack couldn't even see the elder pooka's face to try to read the emotion that was displayed on it, if there even was one. Finally, after an eternity, Phillippe turned around, eyes cold, face expressionless.

"Are ya done wastin' time, or should I wait a little longah?" That hadn't gone as Jack had planned. He had planned on the pooka to turn immediately to scold him, and Jack get the satisfaction of getting a rise out of the older pooka.

"Depends. Will ya let me go if I annoy ya?"

"No." With that, Jack was forcibly led to a cavernous room that held a throne, lots of couches and chairs, even little plush cushions for people, or pookas, to sit on. The room looked like it could hold three hundred, easily, but it was deserted.

"Where is everyone?"

"Asleep. Ya changed time zones. It's about one in the morning here."

Great. That meant that he would have more chances to escape at night. "But we still have plenty of warriors guardin' the tunnels to and from here. Ya aren't the first spirit ta be turned. Though, ya are the first ta do it of free will…"

"I did NOT do it of free will, I did it ta help someone else." Jack just KNEW in his gut that he hadn't done it on his own, but to help someone. That sounded more like something he would get himself into.

"Come on, yer gonna be in the same room as the othah spirits, and I don't want ta deal with it any more than I have ta." Jack was led once more to a different room, this one with a heavy iron door that locked from the outside. Two white pookas flanked those doors, relaxed but alert at the same time.

Seeing their leader dragging along a kit, they unlocked the door and opened it to reveal yet another room with a locked iron door on the inside. Three pookas were guarding this door, relaxed but alert as well. They glared at Jack until the door behind them closed and a lock clicked.

The moment they did, the pookan guards lost their unwelcoming exteriors in favor of more friendly ones. Weird. He could have sworn they hated him by the looks they were giving him. Now they looked like they couldn't wait to meet him. "Hello! Who are you, little one?"

"Jack Frost. And I'm NOT little. I'm three hundred years old!" Jack did not appreciate being called little one at all.

"To us, that is very young." Jack was seriously doubting their sanity now. His expression must have shown it, because the other pookas chuckled.

"Pookas are immortal unless killed in battle. There is only one pooka that is truly immortal, but that is because of very special circumstances."

"I think that is enough chatting. Please open the door and put Jack in there. Be careful, he likes to play tricks." With that, the Pookan Leader tapped on the other door, the one that led to outside, and left, leaving Jack with the unfamiliar pookan guards.

The three guards sighed but did as they were ordered. Apparently they had reservations on locking up a kit. "Come on, you'll only get yerself hurt if ya struggle." Jack decided that these guys weren't so bad, not like Phillippe was, who looked at Jack like he was a prize he had won. Jack decided that when he got out of here, he would listen to Bunny more.

Jack just hoped he WOULD get out. Jack was pushed gently into the room behind the door, the door slamming and locking behind him. The room he was in was not what he had been expecting. It seemed to be divided into the seasons. Summer was to his left, Spring was in front of him, against the far wall. Winter was to his right, while he seemed to be standing in Fall.

The room was circular, but the ceiling was flat, making Jack think it looked like the inside of a coin. He took a hesitant step forward, not sure of what he should do. "Hello?" Jack's voice seemed to travel with the wind, which obviously had gotten in from the open window. Too bad the window was too high to get to.

Jack's eyes struggled to make out more details other than the fact that it appeared to be in sections. He squinted before giving up. It was too dark, the only light being a shallow ray of moonlight that slithered in from the window. The moonbeam comforted Jack, telling him that Manny had not just abandoned these captive spirits.

Jack took another hesitant step forward, calling out again, but louder this time. This time, instead of silence, movement was heard, then a lamp lighting up in Summer. Scratch that, it wasn't a lamp. It was a Summer Spirit, holding a ball of fire in her palms. She looked at Jack with sympathy, probably understanding what he was thinking right then.

"Hello. Newbie, huh?" She asked, her voice carrying an unfamiliar Australian lilt along with it. She crept closer, enough for Jack to see her bright green eyes.

"Yeah. Who are you?" Jack, stepped closer to the girl, who looked to be a lot older than him. Jack couldn't guess exactly how old she was, but she was definitely almost an adult.

"Never mind that. Ya will have ta find out in the mornin' when the rest of us are awake."

"How long have ya been here?"

"Long enough. Ya can't get out unless yer claimed, until then, ya are stuck here. Now shut yer yap and go ta sleep." Jack was shoved onto the ground forcibly, and the Summer covered him with a blanket. The light was extinguished, and Jack found himself actually tired. As he started to drift off, the last of his memories return, and Jack's sacrifice made him feel proud of himself. He had done his job, even though it had cost him almost everything.

He was almost asleep when he saw golden sand rushing through the window, giving the room a soft glow, it circled around the room for a moment before shooting straight towards Jack. Jack dodged away, keeping up with avoiding the strand until a very annoyed, small, golden figure entered the room, via dissolving into pure sand then reforming inside the room.

"Sandy!" Jack whisper shouted, happy to see his friend. Sandy's eyes widened and a series of images danced over his head.

"Uh, long story. Just tell D- er, Bunny and the other Guardians where I am!"

Sandy nodded and left, but not before he sent a ball of dream sand at Jack, knocking him out wtih good dreams. Sandy saw a glimps of the dream out of the corner of his eye as he past through the window. It was Jack playing with Bunny. Sandy wished he had a camera so he could show the other Guardians. It was adorable.

But for now, he had to go look for Bunny. His dream sand told him he was somewhere in India. So the Tooth Palace was the first place he would stop. Sandy had to wonder how long it had taken for Bunny to let go of his pride and ask for help. With that thought, he zoomed silently across the world to the Tooth Palace, sending out good dreams as he traveled.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

"Please Tooth! Ya have got ta help me! He's a bloody devil! He won't listen ta a word I say! I can't even get him ta EAT!" Bunny pleaded for what must have been the fourth time in as many hours. Tooth refused to help him, saying that Bunny had to learn how to deal with it on his own and that she wouldn't always be around to help out whenever 'her Sweet Tooth' threw a tantrum.

"Bunny! Enough! I have given you my answer n- Sandy! What are you doing here?" Tooth's annoyed tone disappeared as she greeted the other Guardian.

Sandy pulled out a pen and notebook, surprising the other two. Sandy never wrote, prefering a game of surades to get his point across. It must be important. Sandy scribbled something down and held it up for the others to see.

It read:

Bunny growled deep in his throat, not pleased by this at all. "Actually Sandy, I have the dingo's staff. I took it away after he froze half my Warren." He got a look from both Sandy and Tooth, half filled with amusement, the other half hope. If they could get Jack his staff back, then they could get Jack out of where he was.

"We may not even need ta send in a rescue. I want ta see if I can talk Phillippe into givin' me back Jack."

Do you really think that would work?" Tooth asked, not daring to let herself hope.

"Well, what Phillippe did was illegal on multiple levels. One, he kidnapped and held a kit against its will. Two the kit was already claimed, so he can't say that he took it in, and three, the kit is mine, makin' him untouchable." Bunny let out a hoarse chuckle.

"Why is he untouchable?" Tooth read the question Sandy hand presented her with.

"Above royalty. For some reason, my kind has classed me as above royalty. Don't ask me why, I don't know, but they have. The same thing applies to Jack, because, ya know…" Bunny trailed off.

Tooth nodded understandingly while Sandy made an impatient gesture with his sand. "Sandy's right, we should be going. Bunny, do you know where the Winter Warren is?" Tooth asked.

"Yeah, but I have ta go in there alone. If ya go in there, there's a chance that they could nab ya too." Bunny created a tunnel and dove into it before the other two could argue.

As the tunnel closed, Tooth just hovered there beside Sandy, speechless. What had just happened? One minute she had been arguing with Bunny about Jack, and the next Bunny had gone on a solo mission to save Jack.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

Bunny raced through his tunnel, going faster than he had in years. Some primal apart of his mind was ranting threats. Well, if Bunny let that part of his mind take over, then the threats would become promises, but he was not going to do that. But he could listen in on the rants as he ran. He had a ways to go, first to the Warren, then to the Winter Warren, after all.

So he listened to the rantings of his mind.

That was one that was recurring often.

That also kept showing up. Bunny tuned out again before his mind got through planning a very painful way for Phillippe to die. As amusing as it was, he had to focus on getting Jack's staff to Jack. He was out of the tunnel and into his home in a flash, then back in once more, Jack's staff stowed away in a magic pouch not unlike Jack's hoodie pocket.

The tunnel's walls changed from moss and dirt to ice. This lifted Bunny's spirits a bit, knowing he was close. He hadn't been to the Winter Warren in four centuries. He really wished it had stayed that way as well. He and Phillippe didn't exactly get along. The tunnel opened in the heart of the Winter Warren, showing that it was just barely dawn here. But also that the Winter Warren would be awakening soon.

Deciding that they had had enough sleep that night, he shouted into the silence. "PHILLIPPE! I NEED TA HAVE A FEW WORDS WITH YA!" He kept himself from tapping the ground impatiently. He did not like the fact that he had to wait. Not when his kit could be in danger.

After an eternity, an annoyed Phillippe appeared. "What do you want?" Phillippe growled, getting in Bunny's personal space.

Bunny growled right back. "My KIT, which ya took against his will last night!"

Phillippe took a surprised step back. He had obviously had NOT expected that answer. "What are ya talkin' about? Who in their right mind would steal yer kit? The only kit I brought here was that Jack Frost!" Bunny waited for the other pooka's slow mind caught up with his mouth. He raised an eyebrow as comprehension then panic painted the other pooka's face.

"Wait, Jack Frost is… is YER kit? I-I am so sorry! I didn't know! I-"

Bunny cut off his excuses. "Yeah he's mine. And don't give me that bull that ya didn't know nothin'! Ya could see that he was already claimed! Why'd ya take him in the first place? Ya should have known his parent would come for him!" Bunny was forcing himself to not strike the other pooka for his idiocy.

"Now that we've cleared that up, WHERE IS MY KIT!"

Phillippe gulped and hopped away, indicating that Bunny should follow him. Bunny did, his spirit growing heavy as he took in the scenery. It was practically to the ground when he saw the heavy iron door.

-_-_-_- Winter's War -_-_-_-

When sunlight began to filter through, the turned spirits in the double guarded cell began to awaken. Jack was the last one to awake, getting a good scare as he opened his eyes to multiple fuzzy beings staring down at him. "AHH!"

Jack backed up quickly, only to hit a pair that had been standing behind him. His brain finally caught up with his body, and his little panic attack ended. "Geez! Ya shouldn't stand over someone when they're sleepin'!"

He took in the room, able to see it better now. It had nests scatted sporadically around, some in Summer, others in Spring, a few in Fall, and two in Winter. He counted nine nests.

"Well sorry. It's not everyday we get a new spirit here, and we have NEVER gotten a claimed kit in here. Well, technically, we've never gotten an actual kit here either… Most of us are either adults or almost adults." It was the same pooka who had greeted him when he had arrived. She helped him up and Jack realized that she was right. All the other pookas were at least two feet taller than him. There was a total of seven here, counting Jack himself.

"As promised, I am Ceely. The guy next ta me is Ginger B. Man. Well, now we call him Ginger, easier ta say." Ginger was a, well, ginger colored pooka. Ceely moved on to the next pooka. "This is Hally." Hally was black, but her eyes were orange. It reminded Jack of Halloween. Next up was a large, burly white pooka. No, not white, very light gray. "This is Reb. Don't let his looks fool ya. He's a big softie. Next is Libby." Libby was golden brown. "Finally we have Sera." Sera was white. Jack blinked. Now she was silver, then brown, then gray, then black, the gold, then back to white.

Jack rubbed his eyes, sure his mind was playing tricks on him. People didn't just change colors, did they?

"Sera! Yer doin' it again!" The changing colors stopped once more on white, this time staying there. Ceely got a glare from the obviously older pooka, but if Ceely saw it, she didn't show it. "So, who are ya?"

"Jack Frost." Sera let out a growl and Ceely hissed. Jack's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Jacky… Do ya know who I am? Think? Who do ya know with the name of Ceely?"

Jack shook his head. "No one but you. The closest one is Celia Summer." Jack got a raised eyebrow. "Celia?"

"YES!" Jack's seasonal sister hugged him. "Why are ya here, Jacky? I thought I told ya ta stay away from here!"

Jack struggled away from the contact. She reluctantly let go of him. "I DID stay away from here. I got kidnapped with a couple of my believers. I took the potion so they could get back home safely. I never would take it back, either!" Ceely rolled her eyes, but Sera's eyes shone with pride.

"Good job, little one. I am very proud of you." Jack recognized the voice, even if it WAS marred by an Australian accent. "Mother Nature?" Sera nodded, glad to be recognized.

Jack turned to the other four, trying match the names to old faces. "Hally Ween, Queen of the demons, Spirit of Halloween. Ginger Bread Man, Spirit of Cookies. Rebel, Spirit of Revolution. Liberty, Spirit of Freedom. Celia Summer, Summer Princess, Spirit of Summer, and Seraphina Pitchiner, Mother Nature, Spirit of Earth. How did ya all get here?"

"We got together ta try to put an end ta the violence. Unfortunately, SOMEONE *cough* Rebel *cough* decided that they were going ta stray from the plan and turned a diplomatic meeting into a freaking war zone! So, as a threat, they uh, NUTRALIZED us with the potion and we woke up in here. We used ta have Thomas Thanksgiving and Grace Victory, but they were claimed and got ta leave because they weren't considered a THREAT anymore. The ones that claimed them just stomped their feet and those two acted like kids caught in the act of causing trouble. It was ridiculous! They didn't even fight it!"

"It's not their fault. Ya can't fight it. It's instinctual. At least that's what Bunny says. And believe me, when he does it to me, I try to find it. Just makes it worse. Like a, what do you call it, brainfreeze? I don't actually know what that feels like." Jack's ramblings were cut off by the lock on the door turning. The other pookas reacted instantly. A protective half circle was formed around the youngest spirit, and everyone was glaring at the door.

The door opened fully and two severely irate pookas entered, one white with blue markings, the other grey with blue-dark grey markings. Jack immediately recognized both of them. "DA!" Jack let the word slip as he slipped past the protective arms that tried to hold him back and into the arms of his chosen father.

"Ya okay, Frostbite?"

Jack nodded into Bunny's shoulder as he was lifted up. He peeked at the other pookas, watching their reactions. Phillippe's was one of fury, Sera's was a look Jack didn't recognize, Ceely was smiling with happiness, Ginger, Libby and Hally were giving him sad smiles, while Reb was glaring at Phillippe. Bunny's head swiveled towards Phillippe. "I want ya ta let them go. They were comin' here as a diplomatic party, not a threat. If one of yer guys provoked them, then deal with them, but don't keep spirits locked up."

Phillippe's eyes bulged, but he gave a short nod. Hally, Reb, Libby and Ginger cheered and dashed out of the room, happy to be free. Sera and Ceely stayed back, looking at Jack and Bunny. Finally, Ceely came over and kissed his forehead, saying, "Good bye, little bro. See ya soon!" Before leaving. Sera still hadn't moved. She just glared at Bunny and Phillippe. Phillippe finally gave a huff and exited the room. Sera moved towards the only people left.

"If you harm my son, I will make the rest of your immortal life a living hell." She hissed before she too kissed Jack's forehead and left.

"Why does everyone always baby me? I'm not a kid!" Bunny gave him a look. "Okay, I'm not a LITTLE kid." He got another look. "Oh, be quiet!" Jack grumbled, conceding his point.

"Ready ta go?" It was Jack's turn to give Bunny a look. "Don't give me that look. Hang on, too. I don't want ya getting banged up any."

With that, Bunny opened and entered a tunnel, just as Jack muttered, "Too late." Bunny would have said something, but he was too busy running back to his home and keeping Jack from getting hurt to do so.

Bunny and Jack were both glad that they had gotten away from the Winter Warren, but they both knew that though they won the battle, they were far from winning the war.

_**A/N: This thing just LOVES to break my record! It is 8269 words! That is ridiculous! I was expecting this to be a short chapter! Not a half a novel! Well, I hope you liked! Please review! Until next time!**_


	3. Not my HOODIE!

_**Here's the much shorter than the other chapters chapter! But first, I would like to thank GiGi, the Guest, Nora, Cat, and AyameKitsune for Reviewing! Love you guys! Well, actually, I'm pretty sure you are all girls, so….**_

Jack immediately tried to get away from Bunny when they got back to the Warren. He was bruised, he had a gash on his back, who knows how many others, and his stomach hurt like no other. He could not remember a time his stomach had ever hurt. Ever. So, basically, he had lied to Bunny when asked if he was okay and was now trying to stay away from an overprotective Bunny. Not going so well.

"Oh no ya don't, Snowball. Ya are not gettin' out of my sight." Bunny grabbed Jack and pulled him back into easy reaching distance. Jack groaned as Bunny accidently hit a large bruise on his side. Funny how he hadn't felt that when he had been worried for his life. Now it seemed that every nerve was on fire.

"Ow ow ow ow! Watch it!" Bunny's eyes narrowed with concern as he brought Jack over so he could take a closer inspection. Now that he was looking for injuries, he could see them easily. There was shallow cuts over his ears, a large, swollen cut on his head, and Bunny wasn't sure he wanted to know what was under the hoodie. The kit had sure taken a beating. It was probably best that Bunny had found out AFTER they got to the Warren. Otherwise the Winter Tribe might be looking for a new leader.

"How did this happen?" Bunny growled, making it clear he was not going to put up with excuses right now. With a sigh, Jack explained what had happened after he left up to the time that Bunny had rescued him, leaving out what injuries he KNEW he had, most of them hidden by his hoodie. Bunny was growling non stop, scaring Jack a little bit. He squirmed with discomfort when he was once again pulled closer, Bunny using his hood as a hand hold. The course fabric of the hoodie rubbed painfully against the gash on his back, making him want to cry out.

"Take yer hoodie off." Bunny ordered. Jack glared at Bunny defiantly.

"No. I'm fine. Just a couple of scratches, " Jack insisted. Bunny wasn't buying it, though, prodding Jack's side to prove his point.

"Hoodie. Off." Bunny ordered once more. Jack groaned but tried to do as he was told. Unfortunately, his extensive injuries limited his movement, and Jack found he couldn't get is off. Not to mention the fact that the hoodie seemed to be glued by blood to his back. Nope. It wasn't coming off.

"I can't. It won't go." He gave another futile tug, the hoodie not budging. Bunny sighed and dragged Jack with him back to the burrow. Jack had a feeling that he wouldn't be getting any freedom for a while. Bunny was gentle enough that he didn't hurt Jack too much, but it still hurt to be moved, especially when he was digging his heels into the ground. Bunny didn't want to carry him in case he hurt Jack even more.

Jack was finally released and Bunny grabbed a pair of kitchen scissors. Jack whimpered pathetically when he realizes what Bunny is about to do. "Oh no. No no no no no no no no NO! Ya are NOT comin' near me and my hoodie with those things!" He backed himself into a corner. Bunny just rolled his eyes at his dramatics and comes closer, effectively blocking off all escape routes.

"Stay still so I don't cut yer fur." Shoot, Bunny was serious about this!

"Oh no. Ya are NOT cuttin' my hoodie off!"

"How do ya plan on stopping me?" Bunny challenged. He grabbed the hood and began to cut away the fabric. Jack didn't move, surprisingly. He wouldn't admit it, but he was actually very afraid of getting his fur chopped off.

When the front of the hoodie was done, Bunny moved onto the sleeves, carefully snipping away at the blue fabric. The front of the hoodie fell away, but the back remained stubbornly in place. Bunny gave it a firm tug, pulling it off along with the newly formed scab that had formed from the dry blood. Jack howled in pain as the wound began to bleed freely once more.

"Shh, it's okay, Snowball. I'm gonna patch it up so it doesn't hurt." Bunny consoled, not really sure what to do in this situation. The situation being the fact that Jack needed comforting, not the fact that Jack was bleeding.

"I hate this!" Jack suddenly exclaimed out of the blue as Bunny started to analyze how badly his back was injured.

"What?" Bunny said, only half listening. Jack's back was bruised and had multiple cuts and scrapes on it, not to mention the huge gash on it. Bunny began to clean the wounds, Jack hissing everytime he brought the rag that was soaked in rubbing alcohol over an open wound. When he finished, he saw that scars also covered the small area of Jack's back.

"I hate that I changed! Before, I never bled. I couldn't. If I got cut, it just froze over until it healed. Before, my stomach never made weird noises and hurt! Before, I could hear the wind around me all the time, like a dull whisper, now it seems to roar in my ears. Before, I never needed to sleep, I never felt cold, I didn't need to breathe, my chest didn't pound, my heart, it didn't beat. " Jack explained brokenheartedly.

A horrifying thought came to mind. Did the change affect his powers as well? Or his immortality? But did Jack also say his heart didn't beat? He would have to talk to Manny about it, after Jack was asleep. For now, he just was going to focus on getting his kit bandaged up, then get him to eat, even if he had to force feed the stubborn bugger to do so.

After two hours of crying, whimpering, cursing, and shouting, Bunny expertly tied off the last bandage. Jack looked like half a mummy, with his torso, head and legs wrapped in bandages. "Come on Jack, let's get you something to eat." This was only met with more protests.

"I don't think I could eat anyways. My stomach hurts." Jack tried. But this only seemed to encourage Bunny.

"It hurts because yer HUNGRY." Bunny shut out Jack's protest to that and began to make a salad for Jack to eat. Jack stubbornly had refused to sit at the oak table that sat in the middle of the room, so Bunny set the salad down on the ground next to Jack. Jack took one look at it and opened his mouth to refuse.

Bunny slammed his foot on the ground as he said, "Damn it, Jack, eat the damn salad." Jack began to obediently eat the salad until it was gone, which was in about two minutes. When it was, Jack looked sheepishly at his paws, which he was wringing embarrassedly, ears down as well.

"Um… If it's not too much trouble, could I have some more?" Bunny chuckled and made Jack another salad, ruffling the fur on Jack's head as he set it down. Jack leaned into the touch, reminding Bunny that the kit had spent three hundred years without physical contact, besides for whatever had given him those scars.

Jack finished the second salad, glad his stomach had stopped hurting and making strange sounds. But now his head was fuzzy and his eyes seemed to droop down on their own. He vaguely recalls Bunny carrying him through the burrow and depositing him somewhere soft and comfortable before dreams filled his head with snow and ice.

Bunny stared at sleeping Jack for a minute or two, as if the kit could give him the answers he wanted in his sleep. Bunny side and walked into a room that was lit brightly by the moon. It seemed that Manny was expecting him. A soft whisper entered his mind.

"Hello Bunny. You wish answers about Jack?" Manny asked.

"Yeah. Just want ta clear some stuff up. He basically described himself as DEAD, but that can't be right, can it?"

Bunny could practically hear the Moon sigh. Images danced in his suddenly, pulling him into the past. He was at the edge of a lake, the same one they had defeated Pitch at. A boy of 14 and a girl of 10 were standing on the frozen surface. He could hear them talking, but not make out what they were saying. Suddenly the boy began to move, making the girl laugh. The boy picked up a stick, no, it was Jack's STAFF! The little girl moved forward fearfully, and then was hooked around the waist and flung across the ice. The boy was now in the place where the girl was. He stood up and then disappeared as the ice beneath him broke. Suddenly Bunny was seeing underwater, where the boy floated, not moving. The light changed and Moonlight graced the child, turn the brown hair white and tan skin lifeless.

Eyes shot open to reveal an electric blue. The boy, who Bunny now knew was Jack, was pulled up by the Moon, out of the ice, into the world. Bunny was above the ice once more. His ears strained for a heartbeat but found none. The boy took breaths, but the moment he landed he stopped. He only breathed again when he shouted out as the wind took ahold of him.

Bunny was suddenly back in his home, staring breathlessly at the Moon. "Jack was DEAD? Is he not anymore?"

"He is alive. The transformation thawed his veins and restarted his heart. That is why he bleeds and breaths and needs sleep. Why, though he is the Spirit of Winter, he feels the cold and emits warmth." Bunny nodded understandingly. He thanked Manny and left for his nest. When he got there, he realized that he had set Jack there. Bunny curled protectively around his kit, determined to ask Jack about the scars tomorrow and to protect the stubborn bugger from those who wished him harm.

_**A/N: Yay! Just short and sweet…ish. Poor Jack lost his hoodie. Review! They feed me**_!


	4. Trusting Family

_**A/N: Thanks to all who have, ya know, been amazing and reviewed and stuff! Cheese Cake for all of you! I don't own RotG, but I sure do wish I did! Enjoy!**_

Jack awoke once more in a warm envelope from his father. The moment Jack thought this, however, he banished it from his mind. He didn't want to think of anyone that way. People would abandon you, hurt you, do anything to break you down. He even kept his distance from his seasonal family and the Guardians. People who he knew he should trust. But he had learned not to trust others, the scars on his back ensuring he never forgot the pain others caused.

A voice his screamed at him to shut up and begin to open up. This voice was quickly becoming what Jack called his instinct. It was really very annoying. Jack decided that he was going to ignore it.

He tried to squirm out of D- no, BUNNY'S grasp, but the sleeping pooka just growled and pulled him closer, chinning Jack in his sleep. Jack rolled his eyes. Even when Bunny was asleep he was telling Jack what to do. Jack's instincts started yelling at him again, singing the same song as before. Well, almost. Now they were also telling him to stay put and go back to sleep.

No! Jack's mind protested. His mind reasoned that Bunny would just hurt him, with his cruel words. He always had before. That was when Jack's instincts decided to give Jack's mind a mental slap. Ugh. Now Jack had a headache. Besides, he wasn't tired, he thought. Just before he yawned, of course.

He decided that the only way to get away from Bunny would be to wake the sleeping pooka up. Jack had personal experience with waking Bunny up be, but he was always at LEAST ten feet away when he did it. Bunny always ended up waking in a bad mood, but that could just be because of the iced ears…

"Bunny! Wake up!" Jack tried, hoping maybe the noise would wake him up. It didn't. The only response he got was a grumble and nearly getting squashed as Bunny turned over. Correction, he DID get squashed as Bunny rolled over. Consequently, He also got a paw over his mouth, blocking out any noise he would have made.

Just to get revenge for being squashed, Jack bit down hard on Bunny's paw. Not hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough to wake the formally sleeping warrior up. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!" Jack would have clamped his paws over his furry ears had they not been pinned to his sides. The loud shouts were WAY louder than they should have been!

"You're squishin' me! I can't move!" Jack mumbled, trying and failing to squirm away from Bunny once more. Bunny noticed and let Jack up. Jack gasped dramatically, pretending he had been unable to breathe and now he could. It was odd, needing to breathe.

"So ya thought bitin' my paw would help?" Bunny said in disbelief.

"I did that ta wake ya up. Ya aren't exactly a light sleeper." Jack complained.

Bunny groaned and laid his head back down, closing his eyes once more. Jack waited for him to open them again, but when Bunny's breathing began to deepen, Jack realized that he was asleep once more. "Oh, come on! C- dangit, I can't use that one!" Jack decided that if Bunny wasn't going to stay awake, then he deserved to be pranked. It was only fair after all.

Jack hopped into the kitchen and found an empty pail, once filled with paint, most likely. Jack filled it with water before making it freezing cold with his powers. He had trouble on focussing it on just the pail, saying as he didn't have his staff to direct the raw power. Jack rushed back to Bunny's nest, only to find that his target wasn't there. Now where could he have gone? Jack had only been there a minute ago, and Bunny had been asleep!

"Watcha doin' with that watah, Frostbite?" Bunny's voice came from right behind him, startling Jack enough that he jerked the ail, getting himself soaked with FREEZING COLD WATER!

"Dangit, Bunny! That was meant for ya! Ya just RUINED my prank! Now I'm all wet! I'm not really sure what the other feeling is, but I don't like it, either." Jack started to shiver for no apparent reason, not getting that that feeling was being COLD. He was Jack Frost, for crying out loud! Why would he be cold!

"Serves ya right! Ya should know bettah than ta pull a prank on me!" Bunny said, laughing, hiding his worry over the fact that Jack was shivering. Rightly so, too! A bit of water had hit Bunny, and it was almost ice. "I think yer cold, Snowball." Bunny stated when he stopped laughing.

Jack gave him a look. "I'm Jack Frost. I don't GET cold. I just bring it." Bunny rolled his eyes and grabbed a towel from a nearby bathroom. Jack looked dubiously at the towel, or maybe it was just the thing holding it.

"Come on, let's get ya dried off. I don't want ta have ta break the news ta the othahs that ya died of hypahthahmia." Bunny said as he roughly scrubbed the top of Jack's head. He was still careful not to re-open the recent wounds.

Jack scoffed as he tried, and failed, to duck away. "I told you! I don't GE- Mmhp! Hey! You did that on purpose!" Bunny had "accidentally" wrapped the towel around Jack's muzzle to get him to shut up.

"Don't know what yer talkin' about." Bunny said innocently as he smirked. "We're going ta the Pole taday, else I wouldn't be so adamant on gettin' ya dry. I value my immortal life, so I'm not gettin' on Tooth's bad side."

Jack looked up mischievously. "Tooth has a bad side?" Bunny just chuckled along with him. Jack would never get on Tooth's bad side, and he knew it.

Bunny got his revenge, though, because when Jack was dry, he was also VERY fluffy. Three pictures were taken against his will when Bunny got finished with his head. This lead to a chase around the Burrow, which actually was Bunny chasing Jack because he had stolen the camera. Jack got away by hiding on top of a high shelf, how he got up there, he would never tell.

"Jack! Give it back!"

"I will! Once I erase the photos!"

Finally Bunny knocked the shelf down, catching Jack before any harm could get to him. With a smirk, he took the camera back. "Aw, come ON! That is cheating!" Jack complained as he was carried back to the nest. He was almost completely dry, except for his back. But in order to do that, the bandages would have to be taken off.

"Jack, hold still, I don't want ta hurt ya." Bunny cautioned as he began to unwrap the bandages. He saw that the gash was already healing, which was good, but the fur around it was soaked with water that was starting to frost over. Probably from his powers trying to heal him. "Frostbite, stop frostin' that wound before ya give yerself frostbite." Bunny chuckled at the irony of that statement.

Bunny gently finished drying Jack. Jack stayed still, which was helpful. "I want my hoodie back." Jack whined. Bunny re-wrapped his wounds gently once more.

"Maybe North'll help with that." Bunny said, chuckling inwardly at the surge of hope that came from the boy. "But first, yer gonna tell me about those scars on yer back."

Jack leaned away, and Bunny was sure that if Jack still had his signature hoodie, then the hood would be up. "Nothing. Just a couple of stuff, ya know, trees, rocks, spirits, ice… not important stuff."

"How are spirits hurtin' ya NOT important." Bunny was enraged, but only partially at Jack. Why hadn't the guardians noticed? Why hadn't HE noticed. Actually, why hadn't Jack told them before?

The news did explain why, though seemingly carefree and open, you couldn't read Jack. He always was closed off, not sharing personal information. He would shy away from North's booming voice and out right hid from Tooth when she interrupted his personal space. With Bunny, he would keep out of reach, then cringe back when he was scolded harshly by the pooka. The only person he didn't give a negative reaction to was Sandy, unless Sandy was trying to send Jack to sleep. Then Jack would hide in the rafters until Sandy gave up.

"Huh. Ya caught that, did ya?" Jack said sheepishly.

Bunny raised his eyebrows. "Jack, I know we weren't there for ya in yer past, that we were so caught up on protecting the children and our own holidays that we missed one, that we only…." Bunny took a deep breath and continued, "only noticed ya because of the Moon. For that I am sorry. But ya have ta believe me that none of the Guardians would evah hurt ya. Ya have ta tell us when these things happen. Us Guardians are a family. Got it? And family stick up for their own."

Jack looked at him with old eyes. Eyes that were filled with disbelief, distrustful, yet so trusting, and an undercurrent of hope. Yes, these were old eyes. These were the eyes of a child that was forced to grow up too fast with no one to care for him. Bunny felt guilty as hell for failing his duty and forgetting a child.

Jack's soft voice reached his ears as he mumbled, "Do ya mean that?" Bunny's only answer was to wrap his kit in a hug. This time, Jack didn't back away or try to shy away from the touch, but leaned slightly into it. Jack's instincts were projecting a smugness. Jack mentally told it to shut up.

"Okay, no more touchy feely stuff." Jack said as he drew away. Bunny chuckled.

"To North's?" Jack nodded and Bunny made a tunnel to the North Pole.

"Hey, will I be able to do that?" Jack asked, indicating the tunnel.

"I hope not fer a long while." Bunny said as Jack plummeted into the tunnel, with a little push from Bunny. Jack's delighted laughter filled the tunnel as he actually got to go through the tunnel without being carried or on his back. It was a lot more fun when he was in control. Of course, Bunny just LOVED ruining his fun.

"Whoa!" Jack said as he went from running to kicking air. "Hey! Why do ya insist on doin' that?" Jack complained.

"Cause yer too slow." Bunny growled out around Jack's scruff, where Jack was hanging from.

"Slow! Slow! No one has EVER called me SLOW!" Jack said in mock indignance.

Bunny just laughed until they arrived at the frigid pole that was the home of Santa Claus. "Crickey! Can't feel my feet!" He shouted when he dropped Jack onto the white wasteland.

"It's not too bad. It's, like, negative ten here!" Jack contradicted his snarky comment by shivering violently. He couldn't feel his feet either. Jack began to hop across the snow, his light frame not breaking through the snow, making movement easy for him. Bunny was a different matter. He sunk deep into the snow, making it difficult to move.

The restriction of movement made their different paces a lot similar, going at almost the same speed and reaching the pole only seconds from each other. Bunny immediately dragged Jack and himself over to the blazing fire where they both stayed until the could feel their appendages.

"Bunny! Jack! So glad you could make it!" North boomed. Jack shied away from the sound, which was too loud for his sensitive ears.

"Sweet Tooth!" Tooth squealed as she scooped Jack up in a hug. "How are you? Why do you look like you were trying to be a mummy? How are your teeth? Let me see!" Jack resisted the urge to bite down on Tooth's hands as they probed his mouth, making sure his teeth were still perfect.

"Tooth, fingers out of mouth." North boomed in a slightly quieter voice. He must have seen Jack's reaction. Tooth backed away, embarrassed.

Jack shook his head before he was tackled in a hug by Sandy. Sandy flashed images over his head, too fast to get what it said, but the gist was clear. "Yeah Sandy, I'm okay." Jack assured his friend. The only one he knew for certain would never hurt him intentionally.

"Jack, why you look like mummy?" North questioned.

Jack and Bunny spent the next hour retelling in great detail what had happened.

"Mother Nature and Summer were transformed? You don't think they were targeting the Seasonals, do you?" Tooth buzzed worriedly, wings beating so fast they were a blur of a blur.

That theory actually made sense. If the Winter Tribe got ahold of all the Seasonal Spirits, not ones like Bunny, but THE Seasonal Spirits, then they could control the Seasons. Add Mother Nature herself, then they could LITERALLY control the earth. The humans would have no choice but to surrender if the very land was working against them.

"Da, they also had Rebel and Liberty, you say? If it came to a fight, no one would. A fight is rebellious, no?"

"It would also ensure that America would fall, along with most of the world. Most of the modern world is based on Liberty." Mused Bunny.

Sandy made a picture of a gingerbread man and a jack-o-lantern. "What would they want with Ginger and Hally?" Tooth tried.

"Sweets. Those two are famous for their sweets. Candy and baked goods, that would make it so the Winter Tribe could create more trick sweets even faster. And believe me, they need it. The potion tastes NASTY when it's by itself." Jack stated.

"Ya drank the potion without anything with it? Why didn't ya mention that before!" Bunny sounded distressed. Jack's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

"Bunny, why does this matter?" North asked innocently.

Bunny took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. It was that big of a deal, really. "Because, ya only need a drop or two ta change ya, but if ya take a full bottle, which, judging by Jack's guilty expression, he DID, who knows what could happen. No one actually has been forced ta take the whole thing…" Bunny scratched his ear.

"Well, what does the potion affect?" Tooth asked.

"Yer body, yer memories, yer instincts, yer senses…" Bunny listed them off his paw.

"Well, the first and last two are all normal for a pooka of his age, but what about his memories?" Tooth questioned.

"Jack, what is last thing you remember?" North boomed.

Jack thought about it. "I was human, the first time I saw my sister… But that's not because of the potion. I got my memories back a month ago, and though I focussed mainly on my human life, I saw every memory I have evah had. Mortal and immortal. So since I saw all of them a month ago, I remembered seeing them, so I got all of them back…" Jack explained hesitantly. "Hey North!" He said, changing the subject. "Can ya make me a new hoodie?"

"But of course!" Memories forgotten, the group spent the rest of the day watching North make different hoodies and Jack trying them on, only taking breaks when they needed to eat.

After what must have been the 568th one, Jack sighed, resigned. "I give up! None of them are right! They… Just don't feel right." He sighed again, accompanied by a childish yawn that he didn't seem to notice. He was buried under a pile of the hoodies, making him quite warm and comfortable. He eyes drifted close as Bunny and North began their routine argument on whose holiday was best.

"I know how to solve this, no? We ask JACK which is better!" Bunny nodded and turned to Jack, only to find the kit fast asleep in a pile of hoodies.

"Never mind, North. He's asleep, and I don't want ta wake him up. He's stubborn as a bloody mule when he don't wanna sleep." Bunny grumbled affectionately. Now that his kit was asleep, Bunny recounted his conversation with Manny. The other guardians took it well, no questions. With that out of the way, they could talk about the plans of the Winter Tribe.

At least, that is what they planned to do. Sandy had other ideas, though. Quick as a flick of his whip, everyone was asleep on the pile of hoodies. Sandy smiled and snuggled down next to Jack. Looking at the dream above his head, he saw Jack backing away from the others, then another Jack talk to the first Jack, then the first Jack hesitantly go back to the others, then all the Guardians having a snowball fight and laughing.

Manny shone down on them, whispering, "Good job, my Guardians. Jack trusts you do not break that trust." Sandy sent the message through the dreams and the Guardians nodded resolutely in their sleep. They would make sure they wouldn't hurt their youngest.

_**A/N: Hey! Anyone guess beforehand about the Winter Tribe CHOOSING the spirits they changed? No? Yes? Well, I am ALMOST to the center of this story! Yay! Do you think the next one should be of Jack seeing Jaime and Sophie? Your own idea? Review and tell me your thoughts!**_


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